Is brouhaha over Sanusi’s remarks overstated?

PN election director Sanusi Nor’s remark has come off as offensive to some, but analysts believe it will not have a significant impact on voter sentiment.PETALING JAYA: Sanusi Nor may have offended non-Malays with his remarks on Tanah Melayu but, several analysts say, the impact on voter sentiment is likely to be subdued.Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar pointed out that the Chinese already have a longstanding aversion to PAS anyway, while International Islamic University Malaysia’s Syaza Shukri believes the Malay voting pattern is unlikely to be altered in a significant way.The consensus is that the Kedah menteri besar’s statement has made it harder for Barisan Nasional (BN) to broaden its support beyond its Malay base.Analysts generally agree that it has exposed the differences in its partnership with Perikatan Nasional (PN).Sanusi had, on July 23, described “Tanah Melayu” as the only homeland for Malays, unlike other ethnic groups, suggesting that Chinese and Indians could return to their ancestral homelands.The remarks prompted BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to tell the PN election director to focus on governing Kedah instead of campaigning further in Negeri Sembilan.Spanner in the works for BNHisomuddin said Sanusi’s remarks had complicated BN’s campaign, particularly in constituencies that MCA and MIC are trying to recapture from Pakatan Harapan (PH) components DAP and PKR.“His comments have scared Chinese and Indian voters away from BN because of its electoral cooperation with PN, particularly PAS,” he told FMT.He said the episode had also unsettled some Umno supporters, with PAS increasingly seen as focusing solely on consolidating the Malay vote.“BN has traditionally projected itself as a multiracial coalition. That image has been undermined by a political strategy centred on appealing only to Malay voters,” Hisomuddin added.He said Zahid’s frustration was understandable given that the controversy had interrupted the momentum BN had built up since its Johor election victory where it secured support across multiple ethnic groups. The challenge now is to broaden that support.“I see BN and PN facing challenges in their efforts to win support from non-Malay voters.“Chinese voters remain allergic to PAS, while many Indian voters are still wary of the party’s hardline statements on issues such as temples,” he said.Hisomuddin said those cha…